What If: It happened on their watch
by WIWJ
Summary: Part of a new 'series' For 911


A/N This is the first of a new series I'm going to do. It's all AU. A little mix of "What If's". This wasn't supposed to be the first one, but I wanted to get it out today..

Still five years later my heart aches for who and what we lost that day. Our peace of mind. Our sense of being untouchable. Our peaceful future. But we gained... we gained strength, the knowledge that people are good.. the knowledge that despite our countries issues.. we are one nation, under god indivisible.. And the disagreements we have are what we live and die for.. Freedom means we don't have to agree..

God rest the souls of 9-11. Especially to those who gave all to save those who's only mistake was to go to work..

God Bless America.. .

What If: _It happened on their watch_.

.

September 11, 2001

8:00 am

"It's a goat book?"

"Yeah."

"They're having the President of the United States read a goat book to a bunch of-."

"Yes Josh.. it's a goat book." CJ sighed into the phone. "How's home?"

"We're managing. Slow morning. It's like a ghost town around here." He looked out his doorway at Donna, watching her rub at the back of her neck. "Donna's mad at me."

"What did you do?" CJ asked absently.

"I don't know." He sighed.

"Josh I gotta go. We're going over the goat book again."

"You have got to be-."

"Yeah.. not so much."

"Kay." He hung up the phone and looked back out at his assistant. "Donna?" She flinched, never a good sign. "DONNA!"

"Don't yell." She called back at least that that was a good sign.

"I didn't the first time." He mumbled. "I'm going to the Hill, then over to the Pentagon, then back to the Hill."

"That's the stupidest-."

"Yeah." He rubbed his face. "I don't really need this from you right now."

"Josh." She moaned. "We can't just call him here?"

"Leo wanted me to do it there."

"You're going to the Pentagon, to fire the Navy guy?"

"Yeah."

"You're just going to walk into the office of the Joint Chiefs and say 'Admiral your out, pack your-.'"

"I'm going to be nicer."

"Really? Nicer?"

"At least more discreet."

"Josh."

"Why are you mad at me? It's not my decision!" He squeaked.

"It's stupid."

"What he did was idiotic."

"Yes, so ask him to resign."

"Donna.. this wasn't my idea."

"You said that already."

"You're acting like I'm-.:"

"You're going to be late." She rolled her eyes at him.

"What's this about?"

"Josh I told you-."

"You're not mad at me about Admiral-."

"Josh... late."

"Yeah."

He made his way to the door, glancing back at her. She looked back angrily.

8:15am

"Leo."

"Ambassador. It's a pleasure. It's been a while."

"Too long old friend." The Chinese Diplomat bowed slightly to the Chief of Staff. "How long are you in New York?"

Leo McGarry looked at his watch.

"About three more hours."

"Wonderful." The other man teased sitting beside him at the table. "Plenty of time to see the sights!"

"Yes Sir I intend to." Leo smiled at him.

"I'm honored by your visit Leo if not a bit confused about it."

"We take these things very seriously, Liang." The small man nodded slowly looking down at his hands. "We were very disturbed."

"People say things with out thinking..."

"No excuse." Leo said waiting for the other man to raise his head. "It's not."

8:35am

CJ leaned back against the wall, watching the students clammer around Jed Bartlett and the goat book.

She rolled her head around afew times. These things sucked. There was no easy way around it. This trip was rediculous. PR. Like they had nothing better to do than a bunch of PR events to make up for a mistake made by some idiot with an audience. Now they all looked like idiots.

She shook her head, turning back to Bartlett and the goat book before sweeping her eyes towards Toby and Charlie in door way. Her chest froze mid breath when she saw them. Toby's face ashen, his head lifting towards hers. Something happened.

9:00 am

Donna balenced the phone on her shoulder.

"We don't know anything ma'am. I'm aware of that Mrs. Speaker. No, I assure you that Josh will.-"

Glancing up she caught sight of Sam hurrying towards her his ear pressed against his phone.

"Excuse me Ma'am, I'm going to have to have someone call you back." She pressed the phone closed and looked at the Deputy Communications Director. "Is that Josh?"

"Leo." He told her quickly shaking his head. "I can't get Josh. I can't get anyone in DC."

"Leo's alright?" She asked softly.

"Yeah. He says it's bad." Sam rubbed his hand across his face. "Leo? Leo? Wait what?" Sam turned away from her, she moved her body around to face him. Her hand flew to her mouth as she caught sight of the television behind him again. "Oh God."

9:25 am

"Where's the President?" Leo demanded as the helicopter took off.

"Florida Sir." Someone answered. "They're making decisions."

"What the hell do they have to decide? Get him in the air!"

"Yes Sir." The man repeated. "They're trying, Sir."

"Trying?"

"They're not sure Sir."

"About what?"

"How many more are up there, Sir."

9:30 am

CJ stood shaking, watching the reporters clamored towards the President and the red folder containing everything they knew. Toby reached over and squeezed her arm.

"Leo's in the air." He whispered softly. She looked up to see Charlie whispering that to the President who nodded at him, before beginning his address.

"My fellow American's.."

9:38 am

"Where the hell is Josh?" Sam asked rushing past Donna towards the Empty Oval office.

"I still can't get him. I sent an intern to the Hill and one to the Pentagon." She said. "Hoynes has been taken to the Command Center."

"Where the hell's the Command Center?"

"You're asking me?" Donna shouted.

"You're the only one I have to ask." Sam told her gently shaking his head. "Margaret!"

"I have the Secretary of Defense on his way back here and the Sec. of State on the phone-."

"Thank God." He muttered looking down at his watch before the ground rumbled beneath him and the air around the White House exploded, shaking the bullet proof glass and knocking pictures off the wall.

9:50 am

"Now Donna!" Sam grabbed her wrist and moved her towards the doorway.

"I-." She shook her head, tears jumping off of her face. "I can't leave. What if he-."

"We can't think about that now." Sam grabbed at the folders on her desk.

"He won't know where to find us." She whispered as he pulled her through the corridor of the West Wing and out into the waiting car.

"Donna..." Sam shook his head.

"They're are going to be sirens.. Lots of sirens.." She told him taking a deep breath. He watched her hold it, letting it out, swallowing hard and inhaling again. Sam quickly realized she was trying not to sob.

"Shh.. It's okay." He wrapped his arm around her, glancing at Margaret as she shuffled the mounds of Paperwork they'd grabbed during the evacuation.

"He.. I should go there.."

"Donna, we need to-."

"Sam." Margaret held Sam's blackberry up to him, he blinked at the text message in disbelief. "One of the buildings collapsed."

10:00 am

"Jed." Leo's voice was low and dark.

"Leo. Thank God!" He shook his head. "You saw it?"

"It was.. horrific."

"Where are you?"

"I'm on my way back to Washington."

"You go back and I'm stuck in limbo. What are they going to do Leo? Have me rule the country from 30,000 feet?"

"Sir."

"Is everyone accounted for?"

"Jed.." Bartlett held his breath, doing a mental checklist of his family and staff. The girls and Abbey were being moved to Texas. He had CJ and Toby.. He'd talked to Sam.. That left-. "I sent Josh to fire Hinderstone."

"Leo..?"

"I sent him to the Pentagon. He had a 9:30 meeting."

"They haven't heard-."

"No one's been able to contact him."

"Damn.. " Leo listened to the noise pick up on the other side of the phone. "Leo.. something else has happened..."

10:30 am

"Nothing?" His body flinched when she shouted, he moved another step into the room.

"I'm sorry Ma'am." The intern looked as if she was about to cry. Donna squeezed her eyes shut. "It's a war zone out there. You can't find anyone.."

"It's not good enough! It's not good enough!" She snapped pinching the bridge of her nose. "I don't care if you need to run through the Mall with a bullhorn and his head shot! FIND HIM!"

"Donnatella." The word slipped out of his dry mouth in a quiet rasp, but her head snapped up just the same.

"Josh." She whimpered pushing past the intern and launching herself into his arms. He pressed his face into her neck, pulling her tighter to him, trying to force out the sounds in his head. "I was so scared."

"Donna." He mumbled into her shoulder. She pulled back a little and looked at his dirty face.

"You're bleeding."

"Yeah."

"Josh.."

"It's okay." He took a deep breath, pressing his forehead into hers. "Leo?"

"He's on his way back now." She felt him exhale, rubbing his hands up and down her arms.

"The President?"

"In the air."

"Josh?" Sam's voice broke through his haze, he reached out his arm and clapped his hand down on his best friends shoulder.

"Hey." He pulled back his hand and thumbed the tears out of his eyes. He readjusted his grip on Donna. "What do we know?"

"Bin Laden. It has to be-."

"Yeah." He nodded, closing his eyes tightly for a second. "Was that the last one? The one in PA?"

"God we hope so." Sam swallowed.

"What are we doing now?"

"Waiting."

10:50

Leo McGarry didn't know whether to laugh or cry when he saw them. Josh settled in a chair starring up at her like she was a Goddess, Donna, her legs arched over his dabbing at the cut on his wet face with a cotton ball.

"Ow."

"Hold still." She instructed, her voice wavering just a little. He lifted his hands to her hips and drew her closer.

"I'm trying." He whined.

"How you doing kid?" Leo said softly, walking slowly into the room.

"It's just a scratch." Josh smirked. "Donna's over reacting."

"Shut up." She ordered pulling back the cotton ball and looking at the cut before securing it with a butterfly bandage.

"I need to see you and Sam in.. that office.. as soon as.." He gestured from him to Donna. "Donna lets you loose."

He looked up at her hopefully, she gave him a short smile, backing up enough for him to stand. He pulled her to him and kissed her forehead before making his way to Leo and Sam.

"They're taking the President to Barksdale. We need to figure out how to-."

"You should go." Josh said softly. "Both of you. I'll stay."

"Josh."

"You know it's what we need to do, Leo." Josh told him slowly. "He needs you there. Toby's going to need Sam."

"I'll meet with the Joint Chiefs. I'll hold down the fort. If they say it's clear. It's clear." He looked slowly from Leo to Sam. "I do have a condition."

11:20 am

"No."

"Donna-."

"No."

"Go with Sam."

"No."

"You don't have a choice."

"I quit." She whimpered.

"Impervious." He smiled, pressing his forehead against hers.

"Josh please.."

"Donnatella go with Sam." He put his hands on either side of her face, tilting her face up to his. "I love you."

"I love you." She breathed.

"Go with Sam. Call my mom." He whispered, touching his lips to hers lightly before moving her towards Seaborn. Sam took her hand and lead her out the door.

7:00 p.m.

Jed Bartlett met his wife at the front door of the White House.

"Honey I'm home." He said sarcastically.

"Tough day at the office?" She asked, tears still gleaming in her eyes.

"Our days just became a lot tougher." She nodded at him, watching Donna rush past them towards the West Wing.

7:35 pm

"Hey." She watched him from the doorway, head in his hands.

"Hey you." He whispered looking up at her.

"You have a headache?"

"I'm alright." He lied as she slipped into his office and sat down beside him.

"Beethoven's 5th?" She whispered rubbing her thumb and forefinger against the base of his neck.

"Ave." He sighed leaning into her touch.

"Did you call Stanley?"

"Yeah."

"Did you take a pill?"

"Yeah."

"Did you mean it when you told me you loved me?" She exhaled the words, as if she could sneak it in.

"Yeah." He whispered, his lips twitching up into a smile. He turned towards her, pulling his head down to her shoulder.

**9:47 pm**

Josh let his head drop back onto the couch, running his fingers through Donna's hair.

"Josh?"

"Leo?"

"You should go home." He looked at Donna. "Get her out of here."

"Can't. National crisis." Lyman muttered. "I work in the White House."

"They're saying it's in the thousands."

"Yeah."

"You saw it? The Pentagon?" He shook his head slowly.

"I saw the plane..I saw the smoke.. " He whispered, running his hands over Donna's cheek. "You?"

"I saw both planes." He told him.

"Yeah."

"Josh, about Hinderstone.."

"I can't fire him Leo." He breathed.

"Josh, He made very bigotted comments about a-."

"He's dead." Lyman raised his voice a little. "I can't fire a dead guy."

"I'm sorry Josh."

"Me too."

"Take Donna home." He instructed. "We can hold down the fort tonight."

"No." He looked out the window of his office absently. "We're.." He looked down at Donna. "We're safer here."

Leo nodded his head, he understood .

"Leo. This morning changed everything." Josh looked up at him.

"For all of us." His boss told him. "Professionally and Personally."

Josh nodded his head slightly.

"It happened on our watch." Leo continued. "We'll deal with it."


End file.
